Plug with supplemental memory

Abstract

A plug is provided that includes a charging circuit and a supplemental memory and the plug body includes an outer profile that is less than or equal to the outer dimension of a standard electrical outlet. The plug allows for data from a battery powered device to be written to the supplemental memory for emergency access by the battery powered device. The plug provides for the backup from a battery powered device such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant of data such as telephone numbers, addresses, calendars, ring-tones, video or music files.

1 . A plug for charging a battery powered (BP) device comprising: 
 a plug body having an outer profile and mounted within the plug body is a charging circuit and a memory for receiving data written from the BP device; and    power contact blades for connecting the charger to a standard electrical outlet including a face having a first dimension and the outer profile protruding generally perpendicular to the face, the outer profile being smaller than or equal to the first dimension.    
   
   
       2 . The plug of  claim 1  further including a memory control circuit for controlling data written to the memory.  
   
   
       3 . The plug of  claim 1  wherein the memory is a back-up memory and the BP device is a cell phone that includes a host memory and a communication interface for writing data from the host memory to the memory of the plug.  
   
   
       4 . The plug of  claim 1  wherein the data includes telephone numbers and names stored in a host memory of the battery powered device.  
   
   
       5 . The plug of  claim 1  wherein the BP device includes a communication interface that reads data from the memory.  
   
   
       6 . The plug of  claim 5  wherein the plug includes a memory control circuit and communication between the memory control circuit and the communication interface is wireless.  
   
   
       7 . The plug of  claim 1  wherein the memory is an EEPROM.  
   
   
       8 . The plug of  claim 1  further comprising a cord and connector for connecting the charger to the battery powered device and the cord for carrying DC to a battery of the battery powered device and data to a communication interface of the battery powered device.  
   
   
       9 . The plug of  claim 1  wherein the face of the outlet includes a second dimension and the first dimension and second dimension provide a peripheral dimension of the outlet face and the plug outer profile being smaller than or equal to the peripheral dimension.  
   
   
       10 . A method of charging a battery powered (BP) device comprising the steps of: 
 providing a host memory and battery in a BP device and a memory in a charger having a body;    grasping a plug body of the charger;    substantially aligning an outer profile of the body with an outer dimension of a standard electrical outlet;    connecting the charger to the standard electrical outlet by inserting blades of the plug body into the outlet so that the body outer profile does not extend beyond the outer dimension;    attaching the charger to the BP device;    transferring current from the charger to the battery; and    automatically transferring data from the host memory to the memory.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the BP device includes a communication interface and the charger includes a memory control circuit and the method further comprising the steps of: 
 writing data to the memory control circuit via the communication interface; and    transmitting data to the memory via the memory control circuit.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of: 
 converting AC to DC via an AC to DC conversion bridge.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the transfer of data from the host memory to the memory occurs independently from the charging operation.  
   
   
       14 . A cell phone charging system comprising: 
 a substantially standard sized electrical plug adapted to 
 convert AC, supply DC and charge a cell phone battery;  
 receive data from a data storage area of the cell phone; and  
 maintain data in a memory provided by the plug.  
   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the plug is adapted to connect to a standard electrical outlet having an outer dimension and the plug having a plug body substantially aligning with the outer dimension of the outlet.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the cell phone includes a communication interface for transmitting data to the memory of the plug.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the plug includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a memory circuit a memory control circuit and a charging circuit.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the memory circuit includes non-volatile ROM or RAM.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 14  wherein an LED is disposed on the plug to indicate that the cell phone is charging.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the plug is adapted to connect to a vehicle electrical outlet in order to charge the cell phone from a battery of the vehicle.